Fostering Climate Literacy in Teaching : Teachers' Professional Knowledge, Curricular Materials and Teaching Content in the Context of Climate Literacy

Climate education is one way to meet the global challenges of climate change. Climate education can be integrated into the concept of education for sustainable development (ESD), but also into scientific literacy (SL). A climate specific notion of SL is the concept of climate literacy that embraces knowledge about the climate system and climate change, skills to achieve and evaluate climate change specific information and communication and attitudes towards counteracting climate change.

This dissertation aims to investigate different strands of preconditions for successful climate education by three different studies. In study 1, a Delphi study an adequate compilation of climate education with respect to teaching content and teachers’ professional knowledge from an experts’ point of view was be developed. Secondly the current state of climate education implementation was investigated. Therefore study 2, a curricula analysis, investigated the contents and was of climate education topics within institutional requirements (curricula). Furthermore, study 3, a textbook analysis investigated current teaching practice as represented by textbooks that are used as daily classroom material.

The dissertation indicates that the investigated strands of preconditions for climate education are rather congruent with respect to the science aspects of climate education including the climate system, causes of climate change and impacts to the natural environment. Yet, they diverge regarding the more social aspects of adaptation strategies, societal discussion and the level of individual or societal action. While experts suggest a broad coverage of e.g. climate science, argumentation, action levels or impacts on society, the analysed curricular materials fall short on these aspects. Hence, implications for teachers’ professional development as well as curricular development can be taken from the dissertation.

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